North Carolina Demographics

The capital city of North Carolina is Raleigh (in the above picture). This state is the 29th largest (48,618 square miles) and the 10th most populous among the 50 United States and capital district. Black or African American is the second largest race after White in this state. Majority of occupations in North Carolina is management and professional (33.90%), followed by sales and office (24.40%).

State Stats and Facts

North Carolina has some nicknames including the Old North State, Rip Van Winkle State, Tar Heel State and Turpentine State

North Carolina has one of the highest burglary rates (1,019 while national average 670)

Population Charts

Based on 2013 estimate, North Carolina population was 9,848,060 which ranks the 10th of the 50 United States and capital district. The most populous city in North Carolina is Charlotte. In this section, you’ll learn various state profiles on population by race, age and gender.

Total population compared to the USA

From April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013, net population change is 3.30%. This is higher than national average, which is 2.40%. North Carolina population represents only 3.12% of the USA’s whole population as pictured in the following chart.

Population distribution by race or age

Census 2013 shows the following five races or ethnicities representing population in North Carolina (in descending order):

White ancestry 71.70%

Black or African American 22.00%

Asian ethnicity 2.60%

Others (two or more races) 2.00%

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.60%

Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander 0.10%

The following chart compares North Carolina population distribution to national average:

Based on Census QuickFacts 2013, 6.20% of North Carolina population are under 5 years old, 23.20% are under 18 years and 14.30% are 65 years or older. Furthermore 10.80% of North Carolina population (over the age of 5) speak language other than English at home, which is lower than the US average of 20.50%.

Female vs male population

Female population in 2013 is 51.30% which is slightly more than male population. North Carolina female population number ranks the 9th nation-wide. USA’s average female population is 50.80% whereas male population average is 49.20%. The following chart shows comparison of female and male population between North Carolina and the USA.

Demographics Charts

In this section, you’ll find a collection of statistical profiles on education, property ownerships, poverty, land area, population density and life expectancy. For analysis purposes, each state data is compared to national average. Data is sourced from last census.

Education, home ownership and poverty rate

In the chart below, you’ll find:

Rate of high school graduates is 84.50%, this is lower than US average of 85.70%

Rate of bachelor’s degree is 26.80%, this is lower than national average of 28.50%

Home ownership rate is 67.10%, higher than US median of 65.50%

People who live below poverty rate is 16.80% which is higher than national average of 14.90%

Data is obtained from Census 2008-2012.

Land area, population density and life expectancy

Featured on the table below is:

Land area is 1.38% of total land area

North Carolina has more population density than the USA average (196.1 people per square mile vs 87.4)

Life expectancy in North Carolina is lower by 1.05 years than national average

Data is based on Census 2010.

North Carolina land area, population density & life expectancy

Demographic Attribute

North Carolina

USA

Land area (square miles)

48,617.91

3,531,905.43

Population density (people per square mile)

196.1

87.4

Life expectancy (years)

77.8

78.9

Unemployment rate and occupation types

North Carolina unemployment rate (May 2013 to June 2014) is 6.30% (higher than national average). Minimum wage in North Carolina is $7.25 per hour, which ranks the 33rd highest among the states. The table and chart below show various occupation types based on data obtained from 2010.

Occupation types in North Carolina based on Census 2010

Occupation

North Carolina

USA

Management or professional-related job

33.90%

34.90%

Service-related job

16.20%

17.10%

Sales and office job

24.40%

25.50%

Farming, fishing, and forestry

0.80%

0.70%

Construction, extraction, maintenance and repair

10.60%

9.30%

Production, transportation and material moving

14.10%

12.50%

With regard to travel time to work, workers in North Carolina usually took less time than US average. Data from American Community Survey shows travel time in North Carolina was 23.5 minutes on average, whereas national average was 25.4 minutes. Average travel time is obtained by calculating time required to get from home to work each day during the week.

Business ownerships

Latest census business data shows:

Black-owned firms 10.50%, higher than national average of 7.10%

American Indian and Alaska Native-owned firms 1.00%, higher than national median of 0.90%

Asian-owned firms 2.50%, lower than US average of 5.70%

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander-owned firms 0.10%, same as the country’s average of 0.10%

Hispanic-owned firms 2.70%, lower than national average of 8.30%

Women-owned firms 28.20%, lower than US median of 28.80%

For comparison purpose, the following chart includes data from US average.

Production and sales

The following table and chart show manufacturers production shipments and sales figures per business sector. These highlight which specific business area North Carolina is strong at.

Manufacturers Production Shipments and Sales Figures

Description

North Carolina

USA

Manufacturers shipments ($1000)

205,867,299

5,319,456,312

Merchant wholesaler sales ($1000)

88,795,885

4,174,286,516

Retail sales ($1000)

114,578,173

3,917,663,456

Accommodation and food services ($1000)

16,126,939

613,795,732

Retail spending per person is $12,641.00, which is lower than national median of $12,990.00. In 2012, number of building permits issued in North Carolina was 48,692.Back to the Top Page